In an attempt to clean up all the plastic bottles, Styrofoam cups, tires and mattresses littering Beaumont's highways and nearly 4,000 empty lots, city officials are considering taking over their cleanup at a cost of up to $250,000 a year.
At a work session last week, city council members said Beaumont's trash problem along Interstate 10 and U.S. 69 likely keeps visitors from stopping here.
The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining the grassy areas along the two highways but only mows the areas about three times each year, City Manager Kyle Hayes said.